


Halloween

by ProphetChuckStone



Category: Supernatural
Genre: After Season 8, Cas/Bruce Banner, Case, Dean/Batman, Halloween, Human Hunter Castiel, Not Beta Read, Sam/Captain America, Sorry Not Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2013-09-15
Packaged: 2017-12-26 16:52:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/968309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProphetChuckStone/pseuds/ProphetChuckStone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before they left, Dean had done all the research physically possible; he’d worked out the culprit, a ghost called Miranda Wilkins, found where her grave was located and even checked on Google maps to confirm it was actually there. And so they had set off to the tiny town of Cantor, Virginia, with Cas moaning about weird feelings in his stomach (“It’s hunger Cas, you’re hungry, for God sake just eat a Snickers bar, and don’t even think of making a mess in the back there”) and Sam double and triple checking his findings, contradicting Dean’s hypothesis at every turn, until the relevant facts mystically appear on the next page. So by the time Dean nearly runs a werewolf over on a public walkway, he’s pretty much set to put it down to a hallucination due to exhaustion, but apparently Sam saw it too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Halloween

It was a simple salt and burn case, to ease Cas into hunting as a human and for Sam to tag along and stop moaning like a bitch at being left out.  
Before they left, Dean had done all the research physically possible; he’d worked out the culprit, a ghost called Miranda Wilkins, found where her grave was located and even checked on Google maps to confirm it was actually there. And so they had set off to the tiny town of Cantor, Virginia, with Cas moaning about weird feelings in his stomach (“It’s hunger Cas, you’re hungry, for God sake just eat a Snickers bar, and don’t even think of making a mess in the back there”) and Sam double and triple checking his findings, contradicting Dean’s hypothesis at every turn, until the relevant facts mystically appear on the next page. So by the time Dean nearly runs a werewolf over on a public walkway, he’s pretty much set to put it down to a hallucination due to exhaustion, but apparently Sam saw it too.  
“Dean! It’s Halloween!!!!” Sam’s staring at him now, puppy eyes staring at him with a longing that had been missing since... Dean doesn’t even know when.  
“No.”  
“But...”  
“No Sam. We’re here to work, not to dress up.”  
“But Dean..., Please,” He’s flashing those puppy eyes again and Dean can feel his resolve crumbling. It is for free candy after all, and it’s not that hard to find costumes... but no, there’s an adulterer killing ghost on the loose, they’re all at risk, except Cas... but Dean’s not thinking about that. And speaking of Cas  
“Why are people dressed as monsters Dean?” He can see the eyes locked on his though the mirror, accompanied by the familiar head tilt.  
“It’s Halloween Cas.” Dean returns to searching for a motel, ignoring Sam’s silent pleas from the next seat.  
“Yes. I understand that Dean. But why are people dressed as monsters?” The car judders to a violent stop. Dean can’t even look at him. The car remains deathly silent.  
“I mean, All Hallows Eve is when the people are supposed to pray for the souls of those who have passed to travel safely to heaven. So why are people dressed as monsters? There is no correlation Dean.” Dean looks at Sam. Sam looks at Dean.  
They battle silently for several moments before Sam’s face splits into a wide toothy grin and he bursts into a loud rendition of the history of the special night, culminating in an over excitable explanation of dressing up in order to get candy. They pull up outside the room just as Sam finishes explaining the idea of ‘Trick or Treat’.  
Dean grabs the bags from Baby’s boot and follows the two of them inside, just in time to hear Sam say,  
“...Dean and I used to go every year; he used to love it more than I did!”  
“Dude, drunk girls, free candy and easy marks. What wasn’t there to love?”  
“Dean, I agree with Sam. We should partake in these modern festivities. Both our food and cash reserves are running low, and I also believe that wearing masks might also reduce our likelihood of identification should we be caught.” He was making a compelling case. And Dean was already half sold on the idea when Sam piped up.  
“There are usually crypt parties right? And the cops are going to be more interested with all the robberies and assaults that a grave fire won’t raise any sort of alarm.” His great Sasquatch arms were going now and Dean knew there was no way of avoiding the plan Sam was undoubtedly forming. “We dress up as superheroes, sneak into the crypt party where we can ‘acquire’ cash and candy before heading out to do the job. Everybody wins!”  
Dean had to admit it was a good plan but “why superheroes?”  
The giant shrugged. “Capes hide everything.”  
And the plan was set; all they needed now were costumes.  
\-----  
They hit the local supermarket but escaped quickly after Cas picked up a stripper size ‘Queen Bee’ outfit, that looked suspiciously like a black and yellow handkerchief with deely boppers. It took them a while after that to track down a store with any variety of costumes left. But, after an hour of searching, they found a Party mania store, they filed in and subsequently split up. Within half an hour they had all paid up and back in the motel room taking turns to get dressed in the single bathroom.  
Dean went first.  
Several grunts of protest and a stream of profanities escaped from under the door before a black blur appeared in the doorway, shielding itself behind a black cape with pointed ears the only thing appearing over the top. Sam just shuffles past him with a roll of his eyes and Cas tilts his head. At the lack of response Dean lowers his arm and huff off to the kitchen to fill his tool belt with salt and iron baterangs.  
“I at least expected a wolf whistle for the Lycra leggings...”  
Sam goes second.  
He takes a good 15 minutes before reappearing in an only-just-long-enough Captain America uniform. Dean had to admit that the colours suited him and when Sam showed him the strap to secure a collapsible shovel to his back he was thoroughly impressed. Sam didn’t disclose that he’d stashed a law book on the inside of his shield; that was for when he got bored at the party later.  
Cas disappeared last.  
it was almost an hour before Cas emerged and it had already gotten dark outside and the brothers were starting to worry that he had managed to strangle himself with his tie or something. Neither of them had really noticed Cas change his clothing since falling, but then again he didn’t reek to high heavens so they assumed he must had washed the suit at some point. When he finally reappeared, it was to complete silence. He was wearing a pair of artfully shredded jeans that hung loosely from his narrow hips and absolutely nothing else. The only other difference was that he was covered from head to toe in a forest green paint, which highlighted his athletically muscled physique and swimmer smooth legs.  
“Dean, where’s my gun?” Cas was, as always, oblivious to the tension in the room. Dean handed over the gun in disbelief and stood gaping as Cas tucked it into the waistband of his jeans, pulling them just tight enough that there was no longer as risk of them falling down.  
Sam recovered first. “Cas...” Cas turned his absent glare to Sam, “Why did you choose The Hulk to be your costume?” Cas tilted his head in confusion.  
“The Hulk is a superhero.”  
“Yeah Cas, but... Batman,” Dean gestures to his own costume in utter horror that someone could turn down Batman of all things. “You can barely conceal a firearm in that thing, why did you thing it was a good idea?”  
“Dean, you may feel comfortable spending stolen money like water, but I didn’t feel comfortable doing the same. I saw The Hulk costume on sale for $40 and knew I could make my own for cheaper. The paint was on sale for 15c a pot, so I used the change I had left in my coat from Jimmy, and exchanged the remaining cash, and that ‘candy’ bar you gave me, for the homeless man’s spare trousers, which seemed adequately worn to fit the part. The whole thing cost less than a few dollars and seemed strangely fitting.” Cas lowered his gaze in response to the silence surrounding him. “I’ve screwed up haven’t I? I could always go and get that bumble bee costume if that would be better.” Cas starts towards the door.  
Sam quickly jumps in his way. “No Cas! God No. This is good; we’re just shocked you put so much effort into something so simple. And I didn’t realise you were opposed to spending our money.”  
The clear stare fixes itself on Sam, “It’s not your money.”  
Cough. “ We should probably head out, it’s getting pretty late. And Cas, put a shirt on man. There is no way you’re getting any of that...” Dean gestures to Cas’s green body, “... on Baby’s seats.”

The salt and burn goes off without a hitch after that. Sam awkwardly flits their way into the party, Dean wins several drinking games, winning big at a beer chugging contest, whist Cas fills his pockets with as much candy as is made available to him before discovering Sam reading in an empty chamber. Cas squats next to him, trying to avoid sitting of the cold flag stones.  
“Not really my scene,” Sam answers Cas’ questioning look.  
“You still want to be a lawyer?”  
Sam sighs deeply, “I know it’s not feasible anymore, considering I’m wanted in more states than I care to think about, but sometimes I like to pretend, you know? Sometimes I just bury my nose in this book and pretend I can hear Jess cooking tofu burgers... revision food” answering the sudden head tilt “and imagine that I’m sat at our tiny kitchen table surrounded by notes, trying to work on a particularly hard case...” Cas slides down the wall beside Sam and slowly slips into the enticing web of Sam’s dream world.  
Dean looks on at the pair with a soft gaze. He’s not drunk nearly enough yet to think about crying, but the memories of what he had stolen from Sam definitively put a damper on the evening. His mind drifts into imagining the life Sam could have had if he had never returned that night, but he cuts off that thought when Sam’s voice fades into the stone cornices. Dean coughs lightly, alerting the pair to his presence and the spell is broken. Sam jumps up with a grin plastered to his face whilst Cas lifts himself with a series of popping muscles and cracking bones.  
With a swift, “ready to do this then?” they slip out the door and head into the darkness. Cas extracts a flashlight from a hidden pocket and lights the way that Dean points. They find the grave easily enough and Sam extracts his shovel, digging up the freshly laid dirt. They salt the body easily enough, with the ghost appearing just as Sam is about to drop the flaming match, but Dean takes it out with a baterang before it can touch him, and the job is done.  
The only complication arises as the brothers start re-burying the body. A drunken group of guys emerge, making a beeline towards the only light around, them.  
“Hey, sushhhhh, why the hell d’you lig’t a fir’ out here????” The drunken mess was within shouting distance and were obviously looking for trouble. Sam and Dean were trying their hardest to smother the fire, Cas knew it was up to him.  
“Get out. This is none of your business.” Cas’ deep voice causes the boys to pause in their staggered process between the scattered grave stones.  
“Wat da hell r u me’nt ta be den???” one of them inquired after a few moments, spurring a round of laughter from his friends and encouraging them further forward. They were only twenty or so paces away now.  
“You’re making me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry.” The boys were gaining ground quickly and would soon be able to see what was going on, and that generally sparks a scream. Cas can’t be arsed with them right now, he’s tired, stiff and hungry. “Last warning, turn around or I WILL make you.” The boys continued onward laughing. Sighing, Cas ripped off the shirt he had only reapplied upon exiting the crypts, and continued to throw the closet boy 30 feet off, using his remaining angel power before turning on the others.  
One eloquently pronounced, “shit,” before leading the others in a less than gracious retreat over the toppling gravestones.  
Dean appeared from out of the ground and clapped his hand over Cas’ shoulder, “nice one Cas, I guess you chose the right costume after all.” Their eyes met for a brief moment as Cas bathed in Dean’s gratefulness before Dean disappeared again with a simple, “you’re still going to walk back if you can’t find that shirt though.” Cas smiled and begun hunting.

**Author's Note:**

> It wasn’t until several months later, after a complete movie education, that Cas finally discovered the meaning behind each of their costumes.  
> Dean would obviously relate to Batman. He was a lonely man that had lost his parents to a force that he could never have stopped, but still felt responsible for, fighting monsters, one at a time, to save people in order to repent for the losses and try to stop them from happening to others. They both had extreme cunning and physical abilities that more than made up for their lack of super powers, and neither could stand their own company for long, whilst both craved escape from the paths left by their fathers to a normal life, but danger prevents this from happening.  
> Sam fits the Captain America mould perfectly. Both had been small and trodden on in their youth, struggling to prove their worth to the world, hoping to find themselves after the loss of their parents. Both find themselves fighting for family, after being trained and nurtured by careful substitute father figures, until they are strong enough to distinguish and beat only the bad people, whether they are labelled as such or not. And the distinguishing feature? They both try to avoid violence whenever possible and would rather sacrifice them self to save the masses if it were possible.  
> Cas was surprised to find that he had more in common with Bruce Banner than he had initially realised. They had both, by unhappy accidents, become warped in the struggle to help human kind. Both men had then attempted to suppress their inner turmoil until it was coaxed, by some outside force, into manifesting and destroying everything. Both men had then attempted to recluse themselves in order to repent and gain control, but in both cases, it didn’t work. Not even suicide was successful. But given a controlled destructive goal and someone who accepts both the monster and the man; both had managed to survive. And Cas now realised that Dean and Sam could help him to control his inner demons, if only he allows them and stays.


End file.
